Abel to Yzerman

I really don’t know why I even bother to waste energy on this report for tonight’s opponent, the Detroit Red Wings. Nothing ever changes with these guys . . . they don’t fight, even when they really should, and while you can sugarcoat it with as hard a candy shell as you can find, it reeks of a team that chooses not only to not be physical, but not to stand up for themselves either.

Well? Did that turn out ok for you? Was this fun?

No? Well, how about this?

Here’s the thing, Blues fans..that was nothing. That was the norm for us, and it was the norm for you. Different year but the same damn story: Blues are rugged. Wings are soft. Blues grind it out, forecheck, make you “pay to keep the puck”. Wings are too old, too brittle. No offense for the Blues. But soooo gritty. Yeah, ok. 21 shots on the best goalie in hockey and plenty of grit will get you a whole lot of nothing.

How is it that St. Louis can go through coach after coach, yearly roster turnover and multiple GM changes..but still make the same tragic mistakes against the one team they want to beat the worst?

“They took their game to another level and we didn’t keep up to it,’’ Blues forward Jamie Langenbrunner said. “We were reacting instead of initiating, and we started to take retaliatory penalties. You give them opportunities on the power play and it’s going to cost you.”

It’s almost understandable. But not really. The Blues felt that they might be able to take some liberties with the Wings because the PP’s been so very bad lately. So Hitch let loose the dogs of dumb. And oh my god did they pay. The funny thing, though, is that the tempers only really flared when they realized something strange was going on.

“The bottom line is it appeared to me that they felt they could be physical,” Red Wings coach Mike Babcock said. “I thought we were physical right back.”

See? Stu with a blast then a potful of stupid Stew with 17 minutes of dumbassery. Immediate result? PP goal. Why? Because it’s the stupid Blues and they have no luck. None. Just when they think they’ve reached the golden equality they so starve for? They get the belt from big brother. And then they lose their minds. Completely. And they always have. Dumbest team in hockey. Dumbest fan base in hockey. A joke on two fronts. Right, Moose?

“I don’t know if (the Blues) can tell the difference between a good hit and a bad hit.”

Franzen there. He’s laughing at you, St. Louis. Why? Because you don’t scare him. Your record is nice but the Wings know precisely how to beat you. Precisely. Hold on. Wait for it. Absorb it. Take the power play and shove it up their ass. Or, even better? Initiate. Seek out somebody like Alex Pietrangelo and blast him into next week, then wait for the retaliation from a dumb team. Wait for it because they’ve been doing it for twenty years. And the Wings have been making them pay for twenty years. How’s that knee, Pronger? Stevie treat you right big fella? Got the angle all wrong didn’t you Sasquatch? The Blues don’t learn. They never have. And it feeds right into a smart coach’s game plan.

As Helm arrived on the bench, helmetless and evidently a bit roughed up, he got a fist bump from Johan Franzen, and two pats on the chest from Babcock, who purposefully made his way down the bench to express his appreciation.

And, 32 seconds later, the Wings had their second power-play goal of the game, and a win about as important as any that will come in January.

Boom, bitches.

We’re all laughing, because Wing fans know what we’ve known for years. Detroit’s got the talent advantage, the smarts advantage by a mile, and…woops…it’s looking like the artsy Euros are just a tad bit tougher too, eh? Initiation is what that’s all about.

And the biggest advantage the Wings have over the Bitter Bitch Bruised Babyshit Blues? James F. Tiberius Howard.

And that’s why they’re chanting “Jim-my Ho-ward!” in Detroit. Well, that and 30 wins with a 1.95 goals against average.

Speaking of which: Howard has 30 wins in 41 starts. The Red Wings have 33 games left. The NHL record for wins in a season is Martin Brodeur’s, with 48 in 2006-07. Hmmm …

Great call Greg and what a fantastic achievement. I wonder, if Howard reaches such lustrous heights, whether he’d be considered a “top 5 goalie” according to Yahoo? Because, you know, we remember when he wasn’t.

But today the talk isn’t going to be about the saves or the shutouts, the GAA. No. Today’s all about the Swagger and the fact that James Fuchin’ Howard, when pressed, has no intention of maintaining anything other than the very strongest of pimp hands.

Khan(!!!)

“I’m not going to be one of these guys they can just run over or anything like that. If I think it’s a cheap shot, then I’m going to let you know.”

There is no goalie you’d trade for in hockey. None. And the anti-Wing contingent can compile their stupid lists, massage the stats to their own agendas, create all star ballots that include FIFTEEN other goaltenders. But nobody’s playing better and, holy shit, do Wing fans dig this kid.

Blues fans talk about “renewing a rivalry.” Nope. Not without a playoff series. And, to tell you the truth I don’t think they have the offense or the brains to even guarantee an 8 seed come April. But if they do? Bring it. There is nothing to fear from that team. Nothing.

Tough guys who shrink like a chilled nut sack at the first sign of pushback. Same old Blues, same old dumbasses. Same old result.

The best part of the night was Babcock telling Pierre McGuire to take a flying forkin leap, because he had work to do. That plus the look on McGuire’s face was priceless. Love to have that on an endless loop.

Well said, Master Chief. People think that physical play means fighting. Yet is was the Wings who were the more physical team last night. Helm flying around and hitting people left and right, Stuart laying down a hit or two, Jimmy! taking on all comers, Dats loosing his helmet. But as the Mule said, there is smart physical play and dumb physical play. The Blues are the definition of dumb.

And as far as Howard goes, he seriously needs to be in the Vezina conversation. But he won’t, because he wears red.

The Blues want to act like a physical team, and be known as one. But when the opponent hits back, they’re really just sissies and they wilt. They don’t want to get hit, and they’ll do what they need to do to avoid it and shy away from it. Detroit manned up their level, and St. Louis couldn’t.

Guys like Helm, Stuart, Miller (who once again did everything required and more, but probably will once again get forgotten by everyone, even though he’s 180 soaking wet), Abby, and a handful of others (Bert, Pavel, etc) made them pay last night. They got right in their faces, and hit em’. They knocked the absolute crap out of that overrated little maggot Oshie repeatedly and, despite all the tough talk after Stewart going after Stu.. not a single Blue stepped up. The Wings were told “Go ahead and repeatedly run over one of our smaller scorers, we don’t want none…” at that point.

They chickened out. They’re yellow. When it got tough, the “tough” ran away like scared little girls and had drama queen meltdowns where they slashed sticks out of guys’ hands 15 feet into the air and took penalties.

They Wings beat them physically. They beat them on the scoreboard And they beat them mentally.

And, to remind our friends at Lame Time, THEY BEAT THEM ON THE SCOREBOARD.

St. Lose in the end is really nothing more than a bottom 4 West playoff team that’ll be bounced in the first round, possibly swept again thus continuing the cycle of not winning a single playoff game in the Cap Era (in illustrious company there… company like Columbus and Atla-err, Winnipeg).. They have no depth, no composure, and no clue. And no amount of donuts will give Hitch the energy or ability to teach them that.

You know, I don’t care one bit how much love James F. Tiberius Howard gets from the league or the media. What has my heart swelling this morning is how much love James F. Tiberius Howard is getting from the people who matter - his teammates and Red Wings fans. Really, there is serious love for our goaltender going on here, and doesn’t that add to the excitement of this season more than anything else?

James F. Tiberius Howard - who’d a thunk when he came up a couple of years ago?...

Posted by
MsRedWinger
from GlennieAbbyLand, now in Flori-Duh on 01/24/12 at 01:00 PM ET

I read where some pharmacists did a study, and found that the two biggest factors that influenced future success were high intelligence, and excellent self control.

Which pretty much explains the situation (and results) in St. Louis, if you ask me.

You said it! Chief!. The Wings out played, out thought, out muscled and out scored those other guys. Matt Cooke, who knows a thing or two about physical hockey says the Red Wings physically beat the crap out of you.

Soft Europeans, may ass.

Anyway, I have been following the Beloved Red Wings since 1946. I have not seen them have such great goal tending since Terry Sawchuck in the mid 50s. Howard gives the appearance of an unbeatable goalie most nights. Think about what I am saying. Think about the great goalies who have worn the winged wheel in between Sawchuck and Howard.

Stuart looked to have dropped his gloves first, so I’m nut sure it was an “attack”. More like Stu knew the BBB bonehead was coming for him so might as well give him what he was looking for kinda scenario.

Posted by
MOWingsfan19
from I really like our team on 01/24/12 at 01:10 PM ET

I watched the game on FSD and didn’t see the NBC broadcast. Can’t believe I am asking this, but does anyone have a link to the Babcock-McGuire interview?

Think about the great goalies who have worn the winged wheel in between Sawchuck and Howard.

Ummm… realistically…. not a lot. Detroit has not been a home for goalies, so much as it has been a winter rental often (Hasek, Cujo, Legace, Vernon). The DET goalies I grew up watching had names like Cheveldae, Hanlon, Stefan, St. Laurent… Cheveldae may have been an All-Star one year, but… he was not a goalie we speak fondly of or anything.

Consider this: Tim Cheveldae is 5th all-time in goalie wins. Tim. friggin’. Cheveldae. Never a good sign for a franchise as old as the WIngs.

Jimmy’s 105 career Wins puts him 8th already on the list. For perspective, he’s already passed Rutherford for Wins and Shutouts, and is chasing guys like Legace and Cheveldae and surpassing them probably early next season.

Just like the Blues in the mid nineties…
Just like the Dive after them…
Just like Vancouver in 02’...
Just like Anaheim in the mid aughts…
Just like the Blues now….

...You think you can push the Wings around and they’ll go away. But they’ll never stop. Lock up your wives and lock up your kids little brothers, because there’s a Russian Nightmare coming for you with his Midget Pimp. And they won’t stop until your virgins lose their flowers and you find yourselves on the putting green. The Winged Wheel is crushing the opposition under foot, and as of last night the NHL is on notice.

I’ll never get tired you watching you tear down BBB fans, Chief. Thanks for starting my day of right!

Posted by
bezukov
from the kids are alright. on 01/24/12 at 01:48 PM ET

Oh god, have you guys SEEN the “silver lining” Blose fans are trying to come up with over on Lame Time?

The claim is that by saying the Wings kicked it into playoff mode and crushed the Blose, that we’re somehow putting them in the same company as the Bruins or Hawks, whom the Wings also did the same to.

Umm, yeah. have fun with that.

Don’t know who Maria is, but she’s my hero for the day for this response:

“wow.
i wasn’t aware there was something called a “blues fan” and I had no idea they were so damn sore.”

Wake me when the Blues win a playoff game. IF the Blues win a playoff game. Ever.

Posted by
Rumbear
from Top O the Hasek, with 3 fingers of rum & a cigar.. on 01/24/12 at 03:05 PM ET

Posted by PaulinMiamiBeach on 01/24/12 at 11:29 AM ET

My new favorite Facebook page.

Posted by Primis on 01/24/12 at 11:52 AM ET

You know you own a team when all they can do it try to measure up against us.

Posted by
bezukov
from the kids are alright. on 01/24/12 at 03:12 PM ET

I still think we’re being a bit harsh on the Blues, which is totally okay but when we say “You won’t win a playoff series” let’s face it, right now they’re matched up with Chicago in a 4/5 seed battle and I think they can take ‘em.

Though I’d much rather face Chicago than St. Louis in the second round or WCF, just because of the goonery some of these big bodied brutes with bad tempers have the potential to do once they get embarassed. Stewart actually played the game in such a way as to make the Phoenipeg Jetotes or the Anaheim Duh-ucks look like smart teams. Ridiculous. I hate those last few minutes when we embarass teams like that and they get all “message-sending” on us.

Posted by
Sullyosis
from A hateful lair in Post Apocalyptic US (or Arizona) on 01/24/12 at 03:19 PM ET

Oh god, have you guys SEEN the “silver lining” Blose fans are trying to come up with over on Lame Time?

I like to refer to that particular blog as the Scottrade Bathroom. The level of discourse over there is akin to what you would find scrawled on an arena bathroom stall, it stinks of urine and farts, and the residents get excited when they see a glory hole.

About Abel to Yzerman

Welcome to Abel to Yzerman, a Red Wing blog since 1977. No other site on the internet has better-researched, fact-laden and better prepared discussions than A2Y. Re-phrase: we do little research, find facts and stats highly overrated and claim little to no preparation. There are 19 readers of A2Y. No more, no less. All of them, except maybe one, are juvenile in nature. Reminding them of that in the comment section will only encourage them to prove that. Your suggestions and critiques are welcome: wphoulihan@gmail.com